Rail kits

Abstract

An example rail kit includes a bracket assembly that is attachable to opposing columns of a device rack, a middle rail that is slidably engaged by the bracket assembly, and an inner rail that is connectable to an electronic device and slidably engaged by the middle rail. The rail kit may include a rail lock that is attached to the bracket assembly and that is to, when the inner rail is not engaged by the middle rail and the middle rail is located at a first position that is forward of a fully retracted position, lock the middle rail by engaging a depression in the middle rail such that the middle rail is prevented from sliding rearward. The rail lock may be released as a result of the inner rail being slid toward a retracted position while engaged by the middle rail.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rail kit, comprising:
 a bracket assembly that is attachable to opposing columns of a device rack; 
 a middle rail that is engaged by the bracket assembly such that the middle rail is vertically supported and horizontally slidable relative to the bracket assembly; 
 an inner rail that is:
 connectable to an electronic device, and 
 engagable by the middle rail such that, when so engaged, the inner rail is vertically supported and horizontally slidable relative to the middle rail; and 
 
 a rail lock that includes a shaft and a locking protrusion extending inward from the shaft that includes a front edge and a top edge, the shaft being directly attached to an outer side of a bracket of the bracket assembly, 
 wherein the rail lock is such that, when the inner rail is not engaged by the middle rail and the middle rail is located at a first position that is forward of a fully retracted position, the rail lock enters a locked position in which:
 the protrusion of the rail lock extends through a depression of the middle rail via a hole in the bracket such that the front edge prevents rearward movement of the middle rail by contacting a rim of the depression in the middle rail, and 
 the top edge is located at least in part on an inward side of the middle rail such that, if the inner rail were engaged by the middle rail and slid toward the retracted position, the inner rail would contact the top edge and force the rail lock into an unlocked position in which rearward movement of the middle rail is not prevented by the rail lock. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rail lock and the depression in the middle rail are located such that a front end of the middle rail is forward of a front end of the bracket assembly when the middle rail is at the first position. 
 
     
     
       3. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the bracket assembly is flared at a front end thereof. 
 
     
     
       4. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the bracket assembly includes a front attachment portion that includes an alignment pin that is to couple with a mounting hole of the device rack, and 
 the alignment pin includes:
 a first coupler that has a cross-sectional exterior profile that is circular; and 
 a second coupler that:
 includes portions that are radially outward of the first coupler on at least a top, bottom, left, and right side thereof, 
 is horizontally slidable relative to the first coupler between an extended position and a retracted position, and 
 is spring biased toward the extended position. 
 
 
 
     
     
       5. The rail kit of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first coupler includes a hollow portion along an axis thereof and is threaded to receive a screw in the hollow portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The rail kit of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the bracket assembly includes a housing that holds the alignment pin, and 
 the second coupler includes four guide forms that are to engage guide grooves in walls of the housing to guide the second coupler as it moves between the extended and retracted positions. 
 
     
     
       7. The rail kit of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the front attachment portion includes a second alignment pin that is to couple with a second mounting hole of the device rack and that includes:
 a third coupler that has a cross-sectional exterior profile that is circular; 
 a fourth coupler that:
 is horizontally slidable relative to the third coupler between an extended position and a retracted position, 
 is spring biased toward the extended position, and 
 includes a top portion and a bottom portion that are on top and bottom sides of the third coupler; and 
 
 a mounting latch that extends horizontally through a center of the third coupler, is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and is to lock the bracket assembly to the device rack when in the locked position. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The rail kit of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the mounting latch includes a release button that is accessible via an access hole in a side of the bracket assembly, and 
 the bracket assembly includes a finger catch that is to engage a user's finger while the finger presses the release button. 
 
     
     
       9. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a second rail lock that is connected to the inner rail and that is to, when the inner rail is engaged by the middle rail and the inner rail is slid to a second position, engage a second depression in the middle rail so as to lock the inner rail relative to the middle rail, 
 wherein the locking of the inner rail relative to the middle rail by the second rail lock prevents the inner rail from sliding in both a retracting direction and an extending direction. 
 
     
     
       10. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protrusion is sized such that, when the rail lock is in the locked position, the front edge extends into the depression in the middle rail but does not extend far enough inward to contact the inner rail as the inner rail is slid toward the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       11. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the top edge of the protrusion is curved. 
 
     
     
       12. The rail kit of  claim 11 ,
 wherein an apex of the top edge is sufficiently higher than the front edge that, when the inner rail is in contact with the apex, the front edge no longer prevents rearward movement of the middle rail. 
 
     
     
       13. The rail kit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rail lock includes a manual release that is accessible from an outward side of the bracket assembly. 
 
     
     
       14. A rail kit, comprising:
 a bracket assembly that is attachable to opposing columns of a device rack and that supports a number of rails; 
 wherein the bracket assembly includes a front attachment portion that includes an alignment pin that is to couple with a mounting hole of the device rack, and 
 the alignment pin includes:
 a first coupler that has a cross-sectional exterior profile that is circular; and 
 a second coupler that:
 includes four protruding portions that extend from a base portion, are physically separated from one another, and are radially outward of the first coupler on at least a top, bottom, left, and right side thereof, respectively, 
 is horizontally slidable relative to the first coupler between an extended position and a retracted position, and 
 is spring biased toward the extended position. 
 
 
 
     
     
       15. The rail kit of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first coupler is to couple with the mounting hole when the mounting hole is circular; and 
 the second coupler is shaped so as to couple with the mounting hole when the mounting hole is square and to be pressed by the device rack into the retracted position while the first coupler is coupled with the mounting hole when the mounting hole is circular. 
 
     
     
       16. The rail kit of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the front attachment portion includes a second alignment pin that is to couple with a second mounting hole of the device rack and that includes:
 a third coupler that has a cross-sectional exterior profile that is circular; 
 a fourth coupler that:
 is horizontally slidable relative to the third coupler between an extended position and a retracted position, 
 is spring biased toward the extended position, and 
 includes a top portion and a bottom portion that are on top and bottom sides of the third coupler; and 
 
 a locking hook that extends horizontally through a center of the third coupler, is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and is to lock the bracket assembly to the device rack when in the locked position. 
 
 
     
     
       17. A rail kit, comprising:
 a bracket assembly that is attachable to opposing columns of a device rack and that supports a number of rails; 
 wherein the bracket assembly includes a front attachment portion that includes an alignment pin that is to couple with a mounting hole of the device rack, and 
 the alignment pin includes:
 a first coupler that has a cross-sectional exterior profile that is circular and that surrounds a hollow region along an axis thereof; 
 a second coupler that:
 is slidable horizontally relative to the first coupler between an extended position and a retracted position, 
 is spring biased toward the extended position, and 
 includes a first portion and a second portion that are concave and that are on opposing sides of the first coupler, respectively, and that are configured such that a width of the first portion equals a width of the second portion and equals a distance between an apex of the first portion and an apex of the second portion; and 
 
 a locking hook that:
 extends horizontally from within the first coupler to beyond a front of the first coupler via the hollow region, 
 is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, 
 is spring biased toward the locked position, and 
 is to lock the bracket assembly to the device rack when the alignment pin is coupled with the mounting hole and the locking hook is in the locked position. 
 
 
 
     
     
       18. The rail kit of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the first coupler includes a gap at an end thereof, and the locking hook is located at least partially within the gap when in the locked position. 
 
     
     
       19. The rail kit of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the locking hook includes a release button that is accessible from an outward side of the bracket assembly and moves the locking hook from the locked position to the unlocked position when depressed.